Wearable device capable of having sensor for detecting biological signal attached thereto or detached therefrom and method of controlling the wearable device

ABSTRACT

Provided are a wearable device capable of having a sensor for detecting a biological signal attached thereto or detached therefrom, and a method of controlling the wearable device. The wearable device includes: a strap part configured to be worn on a body part of a user; a first interface configured to accommodate a detachable sensor and receive a biological signal from the detachable sensor in response to the detachable sensor being connected to the wearable device through the first interface; and a main body configured to process the biological signal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/719,949filed on May 22, 2015, which claims priority from Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2014-0135958, filed on Oct. 8, 2014 in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporatedherein in their entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Field

Exemplary apparatuses and methods relate to a wearable device capable ofhaving a sensor for detecting a biological signal attached thereto ordetached therefrom and a method of controlling the wearable device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Due to developments in science and technologies, mobile devices, such assmartphones, are widely used. Also, since health and disease awarenesshas become more prominent, a sensor for detecting a biological signal isbeing developed. The biological signal may be detected by a sensor whichis embedded in a mobile device and is driven by using the mobile device.

SUMMARY

One or more exemplary embodiments provide a wearable device capable ofhaving a sensor for detecting a biological signal easily attachedthereto or detached therefrom, and a method of controlling the wearabledevice.

According to an aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there is provided awearable device including: a strap part configured to be worn on a bodypart of a user; a first interface disposed at a predetermined positionof the strap part and configured to accommodate a detachable sensor andreceive a biological signal from the sensor in response to the sensorbeing connected to the wearable device through the first interface; anda main body configured to process the biological signal.

The strap part may include a wiring configured to connect the firstinterface and the main body.

The strap part and the first interface may be formed of a flexiblematerial.

The first interface may include a plurality of sub-interfaces to whichdifferent types of sensors are attached.

The wearable device may further include a second interface that isdisposed in the main body and configured to receive the biologicalsignal from the sensor in response to the sensor being attached to thewearable device.

A predetermined portion of an exterior case of the main body thatcontacts the body part may be transparent.

The predetermined portion of the exterior case of the main body thatcontacts the body part may open or may close according to whether thesecond interface is attached to the sensor.

The second interface may include a plurality of sub-interfaces to whichdifferent types of sensors are attached.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there isprovided a wearable device including: an interface configured toreceive, from a detachable sensor that is attached to the wearabledevice, information about a method of detecting a biological signaldetected by the attached sensor; and a controller configured torecognize a type of the attached detachable sensor based on theinformation about the method of detecting the biological signal, andgenerate biological information corresponding to the type of therecognized sensor, based on the biological signal.

The information about the method of detecting the biological signal mayinclude information about a wavelength and an intensity of light that isradiated by the attached detachable sensor.

The wearable device may further include an output unit configured tooutput the biological information, display one or more functions of therecognized detachable sensor on a user interface of the wearable device,and receive an input of selecting a user-desired function from among theone or more functions. The interface may receive, from the attacheddetachable sensor, a biological signal that corresponds to theuser-desired function.

The wearable device may further include an output unit configured todisplay one or more functions of the recognized sensor on a userinterface of the wearable device, receive an input for selecting auser-desired function from among the one or more functions, and outputbiological information that corresponds to the user-desired function.

The wearable device may further include an output unit configured tooutput biological information and output information about changes overtime in the biological information during a predetermined period.

The interface may include a plurality of sub-interfaces to whichdifferent types of a plurality of sensors are attached. The plurality ofsensors include the detachable sensor and the controller may be furtherconfigured to recognize at least one from among the plurality ofsensors.

According to an aspect of another exemplary embodiment, there isprovided a method of a wearable device including: receiving informationabout a method of detecting a biological signal from a detachable sensorthat is attached to the wearable device; recognizing a type of theattached detachable sensor, based on the information about the method ofdetecting the biological signal; receiving the biological signal fromthe attached sensor in response to the biological signal being detectedby the attached detachable sensor; and generating, based on thebiological signal, biological information that corresponds to the typeof the recognized detachable sensor.

The information about the method of detecting the biological signal mayinclude information about a wavelength and an intensity of light that isradiated by the attached sensor.

The receiving the biological signal may include operations of displayingone or more functions of the recognized detachable sensor on a userinterface of the wearable device; receiving an input of selecting auser-desired function from among the one or more functions; andreceiving, from the attached detachable sensor, a biological signal thatcorresponds to the user-desired function.

The method of the wearable device may further include displaying one ormore functions of the recognized detachable sensor on a user interfaceof the wearable device; receiving an input for selecting a user-desiredfunction from among the one or more functions; and outputting thebiological information that corresponds to the user-desired function.

The method of the wearable device may further include outputting thebiological information and outputting information about changes in thebiological information over time during a predetermined period.

The receiving the information about the method of detecting thebiological signal may include an operation of receiving the informationabout the method of detecting the biological signal from each ofdifferent-type sensors that are attached to the wearable device. Thedifferent-type sensors may include the detachable sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects will be more apparent by describingcertain exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a communication environment of a wearable device;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sensor that is attachable to and detachable fromthe wearable device, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3A illustrates a first interface of the wearable device accordingto an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3B illustrates a first interface of the wearable device accordingto another exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a strap part of the wearable device of FIG. 3A,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates a form of the first interface of FIGS. 3A and 3B,according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 illustrates the sensor that is attachable to and detachable froma wearable device, according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 7 illustrates a second interface of a wearable device, according toanother exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 8 illustrates an inside configuration of a main body in which thesecond interface of the wearable device is disposed, according toanother exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a wearabledevice, according to another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a sensor thatis attachable to or detachable from a wearable device, according toanother exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of controlling a wearable device,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart particularly illustrating an operation ofreceiving a biological signal in the method of controlling the wearabledevice; and

FIG. 13 is a flowchart particularly illustrating an operation ofoutputting biological information in the method of controlling thewearable device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments are described in greater detail below withreference to the accompanying drawings.

In the following description, like drawing reference numerals are usedfor like elements, even in different drawings. The matters defined inthe description, such as detailed construction and elements, areprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the exemplaryembodiments. However, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments canbe practiced without those specifically defined matters. Also,well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail sincethey would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.

Throughout the specification, it will be further understood that theterms “configured”, “configuring”, “formed”, and/or “forming” and“comprises”, “comprising,”, “includes” and/or “including”, when usedherein, specify the presence of stated components, steps, or operations,but do not preclude the absence of one or more of the components, thesteps, or the operations or the addition of one or more othercomponents, steps, or operations.

While such terms as “first,” “second,” etc., may be used to describevarious components, such components must not be limited to the aboveterms. The above terms are used only to distinguish one component fromanother.

One or more exemplary embodiments are related to a wearable device to orfrom which a sensor for detecting a biological signal is attached ordetached, and a method of controlling the wearable device. In thefollowing description, functions or constructions that are well-known toone of ordinary skill in the art will not be described in detail.

As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as “atleast one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire listof elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

FIG. 1 illustrations a communication environment of a wearable device2000.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a mobile device 1000 and the wearable device2000 may exchange data wirelessly, for example, by using ashort-distance wireless communication. Here, the short-distance wirelesscommunication such as Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, or ZigBee may consumeonly a small amount of power.

The wearable device 2000 may use the mobile device 1000 to receive datafrom a remote device or to transmit data to the remote device. Forexample, the wearable device 2000 may transmit data to the remote deviceby transmitting the data to the mobile device 1000 by using theshort-distance wireless communication and then the mobile device 1000re-transmits the data to the remote device.

The wearable device 2000 may indicate any device that may be worn on abody part of a user. To do so, the wearable device 2000 may be dividedinto a strap part 2100 and a main body 2300. The strap part 2100 is aconfiguration of the wearable device 2000 that has a form allowing thewearable device 2000 to be worn on the body part of the user, and themain body 2300 is another configuration of the wearable device 2000 thatperforms a characteristic function of the wearable device 2000.

The user may attach a sensor 3000 for detecting a biological signal tothe wearable device 2000 or detach the sensor 3000 from the wearabledevice 2000. In other words, the user may insert the sensor 3000 intothe wearable device 2000, remove the inserted sensor 3000 from thewearable device 2000, and replace the removed sensor 3000 with anothersensor. A type of the sensor 3000 may vary according to adetection-target biological signal, or one sensor 3000 may detectvarious biological signals.

The body part of the user who wears the wearable device 2000 mayindicate a part of a body from which the detection-target biologicalsignal is detected. For example, the body part of the user who wears thewearable device 2000 may include a wrist, an ankle, a head, a neck, anarm, or the like.

According to a type of the detection-target biological signal, a typeand form of the sensor 3000 may vary, and a position of the wearabledevice 2000 to which the sensor 3000 is to be attached may vary.Hereinafter, the position of the wearable device 2000 to which thesensor 3000 is to be attached, an interfacing method of the wearabledevice 2000, and a method of recognizing a type of the sensor 3000attached to the wearable device 2000, the method being performed by thewearable device 2000, will be described.

FIG. 2 illustrates the sensor 3000 that is attachable to or isdetachable from the wearable device 2000, according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the sensor 3000 that is attachable toor detachable from the wearable device 2000. According to a method ofdetecting a biological signal, a form or a configuration of the sensor3000 may vary. In one example, an electrode of the sensor 3000 may be incontact with a body part of a user that is a detection target of thebiological signal, and impedance of the user may be measured. In anotherexample, light may be radiated to the body part that is the detectiontarget of the biological signal, and light that is reflected from thebody part in response to the radiated light may be detected. In anotherexample, ultrasound may be radiated to the body part that is thedetection target of the biological signal, and ultrasound that isreflected from the body part in response to the radiated ultrasound maybe detected. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, it is assumedthat the sensor 3000 detects the biological signal by using light.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sensor 3000 may include an irradiator3100, a detector 3200, and a sensor interface 3300. If the sensor 3000of FIG. 2 is a photo-sensor that uses light, the irradiator 3100 mayhave a light source and may irradiate the body part using the lightsource. The detector 3200 may detect light that is reflected from abiological tissue and may include a photoelectric conversion device suchas a photodiode. The irradiator 3100 and the detector 3200 may bedisposed on a same surface of the sensor 3000.

The sensor interface 3300 may be a part that connects the sensor 3000and the wearable device 2000 when the sensor 3000 is attached to thewearable device 2000, and may function as a path along which the sensor3000 and the wearable device 2000 exchange data. The sensor 3000 that isattached to the wearable device 2000 may transmit information about amethod of detecting a biological signal (hereinafter, referred to as“biological signal detection information”) and the biological signalthat is detected by the attached sensor 3000 to the wearable device2000. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sensor interface 3300 may bedisposed on a surface that is different from the surface on which theirradiator 3100 and the detector 3200 are disposed.

The sensor interface 3300 may include a plurality of electrodes that maybe electrically connected to the wearable device 2000. For example, thesensor interface 3300 may include a ground electrode, an electrode forsensing attachment or detachment of the sensor 3000, an electrode forchecking a power supply to the sensor 3000, an electrode fortransmitting data to the wearable device 2000, an electrode forreceiving data from the wearable device 2000, a clock electrode forreceiving an input of a clock signal, etc.

According to relative positions of the irradiator 3100, the detector3200, and the sensor interface 3300, a position of the wearable device2000 to which the sensor 3000 is to be attached may vary. Hereinafter, afirst interface 2120 of the wearable device 2000 to which the sensor3000 may be attached is described with reference to FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3A illustrates the first interface 2120 of the wearable device2000, according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the wearable device 2000 may include the strappart 2100 that allows the wearable device 2000 to be worn on a body partof a user, and the main body 2300 that is connected to the strap part2100. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the wearable device 2000 may be awatch-type wearable device but is not limited thereto and may have oneof various forms including a necklace-type wearable device, abracelet-type wearable device, a band-type wearable device, a hat-typewearable device, etc.

The strap part 2100 and the main body 2300 may be separable or may haveone body that is not separated.

The first interface 2120 may be disposed at a predetermined position ofthe strap part 2100 of the wearable device 2000 and configured toaccommodate the sensor 3000 which is attachable and detachable. Thefirst interface 2120 may receive biological signal detection informationfrom the sensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device 2000. Also,the first interface 2120 may receive a biological signal that isdetected by the attached sensor 3000. Here, in a case of thephoto-sensor such as the sensor 3000 shown in FIG. 2, the biologicalsignal detection information may include information about a wavelengthand intensity of light that is radiated by the sensor 3000 attached tothe wearable device 2000.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the predetermined position of the strap part2100 of the wearable device 2000 at which the first interface 2120 maybe disposed may be a random position on a side surface of the strap part2100 when a user wears the wearable device 2000. Also, a plurality ofthe first interfaces 2120 may simultaneously exist at several positionsof the strap part 2100.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the sensor 3000 may be attached or detached evenwhen the user wears the wearable device 2000. Also, when the sensor 3000malfunctions or is broken, the user may detach the sensor 3000 from thewearable device 2000 and may repair only the sensor 3000.

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, when the wearable device 2000 is a watch-typewearable device, the strap part 2100 and the first interface 2120 may beflexible but one or more exemplary embodiments are not limited thereto.

Referring to FIG. 3A, the first interface 2120 may have a plurality ofpins that may be electrically connected to the sensor 3000. For example,the first interface 2120 may have a pin for connection to ground, asensing pin for sensing attachment or detachment of the sensor 3000, apower pin for checking a power supply to the attached sensor 3000, atransmitting pin for transmitting data to the attached sensor 3000, areceiving pin for receiving data from the attached sensor 3000, a clockpin for receiving a clock signal, or the like.

Further, the first interface 2120 and the sensor 3000 may have auniversal serial bus (USB) connector type such as type A, type B,Mini-A, Mini-B, Micro-A, Micro-B, or Micro-AB. In addition, althoughFIG. 3A illustrates the first interface 2120 as a male connector (alsoreferred to as a plug) and the sensor as having a female connector (alsoreferred to as a receptacle or a port), one or more other exemplaryembodiments are limited thereto. For example, the first interface 2120may correspond to a USB Type A female connector and the sensor 3000 mayhave a corresponding USB Type A male connector.

When the sensor 3000 is attached to the first interface 2120 of thewearable device 2000, the plurality of pins of the first interface 2120may contact the electrodes of the sensor interface 3300 of the sensor3000, respectively, and connect the wearable device 2000 and the sensor3000, As a result, the wearable device 2000 and the attached sensor 3000are able to communication to exchange data.

FIG. 3B illustrates a wearable device 2000 including a strap part 2100and a first interface 2120 disposed at the start part 2100, according toanother exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the wearable device 2000 does not include the mainbody 2300 of FIG. 3A to provide extended battery life. Instead, thewearable device 2000 of FIG. 3B may include an indicator 2130 such as avibrator motor or a multi-color LED. The indicator 2130 may notify auser of biological information (e.g., body fat level, blood sugar level,temperature, sweat, and creatinine level) detected by the sensor 300when the sensor 300 is inserted into the first interface 2120 and incontact with the user. More specifically, the indicator 2130 may pushnotifications corresponding the detected biological information via themulti-color LED and/or the vibrator motor. Further, the wearable device2000 may include a communication unit 2150 that transmits the biologicalinformation to an external device (e.g., the mobile device 1000 of FIG.1).

FIG. 4 illustrates the strap part 2100 of the wearable device 2000,according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the strap part 2100 may have a wiring 2140 thatconnects the main body 2300 and the first interface 2120. A shape, alength, and an array of the wiring 2140 may vary according to a locationof the first interface 2120.

Since the strap part 2100 and the first interface 2120 may be flexible,when a form of the strap part 2100 is changed, a form of the wiring 2140that is arranged at the strap part 2100 may be changed according to thechanged form of the strap part 2100.

If a plurality of the first interfaces 2120 exist, the strap part 2100may include a plurality of the wirings 2140 that correspond to theplurality of the first interfaces 2120, respectively.

FIG. 5 illustrates a form of the first interface 2120 of the wearabledevice 2000, according to another exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, the first interface 2120 may include a plurality ofsub-interfaces 2122 to which the sensors 3000 may be attached.

For example, if a type of the sensor 3000 varies according to a type ofa biological signal, a user of the wearable device 2000 has to attachdifferent types of the sensors 3000 to the wearable device 2000.Alternatively, if it is required to simultaneously detect biologicalsignals from several body parts of the user, the user of the wearabledevice 2000 may have to attach one type of the sensors 3000 to thewearable device 2000. Thus, the user may attach different types or onetype of the sensors 3000 to the first interface 2120 of the wearabledevice 2000 that includes the sub-interfaces 2122.

The sensors 3000 may be simultaneously attached to the sub-interfaces2122. Alternatively, if there is no need for the sensors 3000 tocorrespond to the number of the sub-interfaces 2122 included in thefirst interface 2120, the sensors 3000 may be attached to only some ofthe sub-interfaces 2122.

FIG. 6 illustrates the sensor 3000 that is attachable to or detachablefrom the wearable device 2000, according to another exemplaryembodiment.

As described above with reference to FIG. 2, according to a method ofdetecting a biological signal, a form or a configuration of the sensor3000 that is attachable to or detachable from the wearable device 2000may vary. For convenience of description, it is assumed that the sensor3000 detects a biological signal by using light.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensor 3000 may be manufactured in theform of a chip such as a memory card. In other words, the sensor 3000may be manufactured to be inserted into and to be mounted at a slot thatis formed at a predetermined position of the wearable device 2000.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the sensor 3000 may include an irradiator3100, a detector 3200, and a sensor interface 3300. If the sensor 3000of FIG. 6 is a photo-sensor that uses light, the irradiator 3100 mayhave a light source and may radiate the light to a body part. Thedetector 3200 may detect light that is reflected from a biologicaltissue and may include a photoelectric conversion device such as aphotodiode. The irradiator 3100 and the detector 3200 may be disposed ona same surface of the sensor 3000.

The sensor interface 3300 may indicate a part that connects the sensor3000 and the wearable device 2000 when the sensor 3000 is attached tothe wearable device 2000, and may function as a path on which the sensor3000 and the wearable device 2000 exchange information.

The sensor interface 3300 may include a plurality of electrodes that maybe electrically connected to the wearable device 2000. For example, thesensor interface 3300 may include a ground electrode, an electrode forsensing attachment or detachment of the sensor 3000, an electrode forchecking a power supply to the sensor 3000, an electrode fortransmitting data to the wearable device 2000, an electrode forreceiving data from the wearable device 2000, a clock electrode forreceiving an input of a clock signal, etc.

The sensor interface 3300 may be disposed on a front surface of thesensor 3000 on which the irradiator 3100 and the detector 3200 aredisposed. Alternatively, the sensor interface 3300 may be disposed on arear surface of the sensor 3000. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6,the sensor interface 3300 may be disposed on the rear surface of thesensor 3000, which is the side opposite the front surface. Hereinafter,with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, a second interface 2330 of the wearabledevice 2000 to which the chip-type sensor 3000 may be attached will bedescribed.

FIG. 7 illustrates the second interface 2330 of the wearable device2000, according to another exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, the wearable device 2000 may include the strap part2100 that allows the wearable device 2000 to be worn on a body part of auser, and the main body 2300 that is connected to the strap part 2100.As illustrated in FIG. 7, the wearable device 2000 may be a watch-typewearable device but is not limited thereto and may have one of variousforms including a necklace-type wearable device, a bracelet-typewearable device, a band-type wearable device, a hat-type wearabledevice, etc. The strap part 2100 and the main body 2300 may be separableor may have one body that is not separated.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the second interface 2330 to which the sensor3000 is attached may be disposed in the main body 2300 of the wearabledevice 2000.

The second interface 2330 may be disposed at a predetermined position ofthe main body 2300 that is connected to the strap part 2100. Forexample, the second interface 2330 may be disposed in the main body2300. The second interface 2330 may receive biological signal detectioninformation from the sensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device2000. Also, the second interface 2330 may receive a biological signalthat is detected by the attached sensor 3000. Here, in a case of thephoto-sensor such as the sensor 3000 shown in FIG. 6, the biologicalsignal detection information may include information about a wavelengthand intensity of light that is radiated by the sensor 3000 attached tothe wearable device 2000.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, a position of the second interface 2330 withrespect to the main body 2300 of the wearable device 2000 may be in themain body 2300. The sensor 3000 may be attached at the second interface2330 in the main body 2300 of the wearable device 2000 via a slot 2335formed in an exterior case of the main body 2300. Also, the secondinterface 2330 and the slot 2335 that corresponds to the secondinterface 2330 may simultaneously exist at several positions of the mainbody 2300.

Referring to FIG. 7, the sensor 3000 may be attached or detached evenwhen the user wears the wearable device 2000. Also, when the sensor 3000malfunctions or is broken, the user may detach the sensor 3000 from thewearable device 2000 and may repair only the sensor 3000.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, when the wearable device 2000 is a watch-typewearable device, a predetermined portion of the exterior case of themain body 2300 that contacts the body part of the user who wears thewearable device 2000 may be transparent. For example, in a case of thephoto-sensor such as the sensor 3000 shown in FIG. 6, the photo-sensormay radiate light to the body part of the user so as to detect abiological signal. When the sensor 3000 is attached to the secondinterface 2330 in the main body 2300 of the wearable device 2000, thepredetermined portion of the exterior case of the main body 2300 thatcorresponds to an radiation path of the light may be formed of atransparent material in order to allow the light to pass through thepredetermined portion of the exterior case so as to irradiate the bodypart of the user.

In addition, the predetermined portion (e.g., a cover) of the exteriorcase of the main body 2300 may open or close according to whether thesecond interface 2330 is attached to the sensor 3000. For example, in acase where the photo-sensor such as the sensor 3000 of FIG. 6 isattached to the second interface 2330, the predetermined portion of theexterior case of the main body 2300 that corresponds to the radiationpath of the light may open in order to allow the light to pass throughthe predetermined portion of the exterior case so as to irradiate thebody part of the user. On the other hand, if the sensor 3000 is detachedfrom the second interface 2330, the open portion may close.

FIG. 8 illustrates an inside of the main body 2300 in which the secondinterface 2330 of the wearable device 2000 is disposed, according toanother exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, the second interface 2330 to which the sensor 3000is attached is illustrated by using a dotted line, and pins of thesecond interface 2330 are also illustrated.

When the sensor 3000 is attached to the second interface 2330 of thewearable device 2000, the pins of the second interface 2330 mayrespectively contact electrodes of the sensor interface 3300 of thesensor 3000 and may connect the wearable device 2000 and the sensor 3000so as to make data exchanged between the wearable device 2000 and thesensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device 2000. The secondinterface 2330 may have the pins that may be electrically connected tothe sensor 3000. For example, the second interface 2330 may have a pinfor connection to a ground, a sensing pin for sensing attachment ordetachment of the sensor 3000, a power pin for checking a power supplyto the attached sensor 3000, a transmitting pin for transmitting data tothe attached sensor 3000, a receiving pin for receiving data from theattached sensor 3000, a clock pin for receiving a clock signal, or thelike.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the wearabledevice 2000, according to another exemplary embodiment. It is obvious toone of ordinary skill in the art that the wearable device 2000 mayfurther include general-use elements as well as the elements shown inFIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 9, the wearable device 2000 may include the strap part2100 and the main body 2300. The strap part 2100 indicates aconfiguration of the wearable device 2000 that has a form to allow thewearable device 2000 to be worn on a body part of a user, and the mainbody 2300 indicates another configuration of the wearable device 2000that performs a characteristic function of the wearable device 2000.

The user may attach or detach the sensor 3000 for detecting a biologicalsignal to the wearable device 2000 or from the wearable device 2000. Forexample, the user may attach the sensor 3000 to detect one type of abiological signal, and then detach the attached sensor 3000 to replacethe attached sensor 3000 with another sensor to detect another type of abiological signal. To do so, at least one interface that makes thesensor 3000 attachable to or detachable from the strap part 2100 or themain body 2300 may be arranged. For convenience of description, aninterface that is disposed at the strap part 2100 may be referred to asthe first interface 2120, and an interface that is disposed at the mainbody 2300 may be referred to as the second interface 2330. Here,according to a type of a detection-target biological signal, a type andform of the sensor 3000 may vary, and a position of the wearable device2000 to which the sensor 3000 is to be attached may vary.

Referring to FIG. 9, the strap part 2100 of the wearable device 2000 mayinclude the first interface 2120. In other words, the first interface2120 may be disposed at a predetermined position of the strap part 2100of the wearable device 2000. The first interface 2120 may receivebiological signal detection information from the sensor 3000 that isattached to the wearable device 2000. Also, the first interface 2120 mayreceive a biological signal that is detected by the attached sensor3000.

Detailed descriptions about the first interface 2120, which are the sameas the aforementioned contents, will be omitted here, and thedescriptions provided with reference to FIGS. 3 through 5 may be appliedto the first interface 2120 of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIG. 9, the main body 2300 of the wearable device 2000 mayinclude a controller 2310, a user input unit 2320, a second interface2330, a communication unit 2340, and an output unit 2350.

The controller 2310 may include a random access memory (RAM), a readonly memory (ROM), a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphicprocessing unit (GPU). The RAM, the ROM, the CPU, the GPU, or the likemay be connected to each other via a data bus.

The CPU may access a memory and may perform a booting process by usingan operating system (OS) stored in the memory. Then, the CPU may performvarious operations by using various programs, contents, data, or thelike stored in the memory.

The ROM may store an instruction set or the like for booting up asystem. For example, when a turn on command is input to the wearabledevice 2000 and a power is supplied to the wearable device 2000, the CPUmay copy the OS stored in the memory to the RAM according to theinstruction set stored in the ROM, may execute the OS, and may boot upthe system. When the booting process is complete, the CPU may copy thevarious programs stored in the memory to the RAM, may execute theprograms copied to the RAM, and thus may perform various operations.When the booting process of the wearable device 2000 is complete, theGPU displays a user interface screen on a region of a display 2351. Inmore detail, the GPU may generate a screen on which an electronicdocument including various objects such as contents, icons, menu, or thelike is displayed. The GPU calculates coordinates values by which theobjects are displayed according to a layout of the screen, andcalculates attribute values such as forms, sizes, or colors of theobjects. Then, the GPU may generate screens having various layouts thatinclude the objects, based on the calculated attribute values. Thescreens that are generated by the GPU may be provided to the display2351 and may be displayed on regions of the display 2351, respectively.

The user input unit 2320 may receive inputs of various commands from auser. The user input unit 2320 may include at least one of a keypad 2321and a touch panel 2323.

The keypad 2321 may include various types of keys such as at least onemechanical button, a wheel, etc. that are formed in various regions suchas a front part, a side part, or a rear part of the main body 2300 ofthe wearable device 2000.

The touch panel 2323 may sense a touch input by a user and may output avalue of a touch event that corresponds to the sensed touch input. Thetouch panel 2323 may be combined with a display panel and thus may beformed as a touchscreen. The touchscreen may be configured as acapacitive touchscreen or a resistive touchscreen by using various typesof touch sensors. The capacitive touchscreen may calculate touchcoordinates by sensing a small amount of electricity generated when abody part of the user touches the surface of the capacitive touchscreen,which is coated with a dielectric. The resistive touchscreen may includetwo embedded electrode plates and may calculate touch coordinates bysensing a flow of current that occurs when the user touches theresistive touchscreen and thus upper and lower plates of a touched pointcontact each other. The touch event that occurs on the touchscreen maybe mainly generated by a finger of a person but may also be generated byan object formed of a conductive material capable of changingcapacitance.

The second interface 2330 may be disposed at a predetermined position ofthe main body 2300 that is connected to the wearable device 2000. Forexample, the second interface 2330 may be disposed in the main body2300. The second interface 2330 may receive biological signal detectioninformation from the sensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device2000. Also, the second interface 2330 may receive a biological signalthat is detected by the attached sensor 3000.

Detailed descriptions about the second interface 2330, which are thesame as the aforementioned contents, will be omitted here, and thedescriptions provided with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 may bechangelessly applied to the second interface 2330 of FIG. 9.

The communication unit 2340 may communicate with various types ofexternal devices according to various communication ways. Thecommunication unit 2340 may include at least one selected from a WiFichip 2341, a Bluetooth chip 2343, a near field communication (NFC) chip2345, and a wireless communication chip 2347. The controller 2310 maycommunicate with various external devices by using the communicationunit 2340.

The WiFi chip 2341 and the Bluetooth chip 2343 may communicate withanother device by using WiFi and Bluetooth, respectively. If the WiFichip 2341 or the Bluetooth chip 2343 is used, the WiFi chip 2341 or theBluetooth chip 2343 may first transmit and receive various types ofconnection information including a service set identification (SSID), asession key, or the like, may connection communication by using theconnection information, and then may transmit and receive various typesof information. The NFC chip 2345 indicates a chip that operates in anNFC way by using a 13.56 MHz band from among various radiofrequency-identification (RF-ID) frequency bands such as 135 kHz, 13.56MHz, 433 MHz, 860-960 MHz, 2.45 GHz, or the like. The wirelesscommunication chip 2347 indicates a chip that communicates with anotherdevice according to various communication standards such as theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), ZigBee, 3^(rd)generation (3G), 3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), Long TermEvolution (LTE), or the like.

The output unit 2350 may include the display 2351 and a speaker 2353.

The display 2351 may include a display panel and a controller forcontrolling the display panel. The display panel may be embodied asvarious displays including a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organiclight-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organiclight-emitting diode (AM-OLED) display, a plasma display panel (PDP), orthe like. The display 2351 may be combined with the touch panel 2323 ofthe user input unit 2320 and thus may be provided as a touchscreen. Forexample, the touchscreen may include an integrated module formed bystacking the display panel and the touch panel 2323.

The speaker 2353 may output audio data that is generated by an audioprocessor.

Names of the elements of the wearable device 2000 may be changed. Also,not all elements shown in FIG. 9 are necessary elements. That is, thewearable device 2000 may be embodied with more or less elements than theelements shown in FIG. 9.

The wearable device 2000 may exchange, by using at least one of theelements, information with the sensor 3000 that is attached to thewearable device 2000 and may perform operations below.

An interface of the wearable device 2000 that includes at least one ofthe first interface 2120 and the second interface 2330 may receivebiological signal detection information and a biological signal detectedby the sensor 3000, from the sensor 3000 that is attached to thewearable device 2000. The biological signal detection information andthe biological signal that is detected by the attached sensor 3000 maybe sequentially or simultaneously received via the interface of thewearable device 2000.

The controller 2310 of the wearable device 2000 may recognize a type ofthe attached sensor 3000, based on the biological signal detectioninformation that is received via the interface. For example, if thesensor 3000 attached to the wearable device 2000 is a photo-sensor thatradiates light and detects the biological signal, the biological signaldetection information may include information about a wavelength andintensity of light that is radiated by the sensor 3000. Here, accordingto a degree of the wavelength and intensity of the light, the wearabledevice 2000 may further exactly recognize a type of the biologicalsignal that is detected by the photo-sensor.

The interface of the wearable device 2000 that includes at least one ofthe first interface 2120 and the second interface 2330 may include aplurality of sub-interfaces to which the sensors 3000 may be attached.The controller 2310 of the wearable device 2000 may recognize types ofone or more sensors 3000 that are attached to the plurality ofsub-interfaces.

Also, the controller 2310 of the wearable device 2000 may generatebiological information that corresponds to the recognized type of thesensor 3000, based on the biological signal that is received via theinterface of the wearable device 2000 that includes at least one of thefirst interface 2120 and the second interface 2330. The interface of thewearable device 2000 may receive all detected biological signals or onlya user-desired biological signal from the one or more attached sensors3000. For example, the output unit 2350 in the form of a touchscreen maydisplay, on a user interface of the wearable device 2000, one or morefunctions of the sensor 3000 that is recognized by the controller 2310,and may receive an input of selecting a user-desired function from amongthe one or more displayed functions of the sensor 3000. The interface ofthe wearable device 2000 may receive, from the attached sensor 3000, abiological signal that corresponds to the selected function.

The output unit 2350 of the wearable device 2000 may output thebiological information that is generated based on the biological signalthat is received from the sensor 3000 attached to the wearable device2000. Here, if the interface of the wearable device 2000 receives allbiological signals that are detected by the sensor 3000 attached to thewearable device 2000, the output unit 2350 of the wearable device 2000may output all biological information or only user-desired biologicalinformation. For example, the output unit 2350 in the form of thetouchscreen may display, on the user interface of the wearable device2000, one or more functions of the sensor 3000 that is recognized by thecontroller 2310, and may receive an input of selecting a user-desiredfunction from among the one or more displayed functions of the sensor3000. The output unit 2350 of the wearable device 2000 may outputbiological information that corresponds to the selected function.

The output unit 2350 of the wearable device 2000 may output informationabout changes in biological information during a predetermined periodset by the user. In other words, the wearable device 2000 may store aplurality of pieces of biological information that were generated duringthe predetermined period, and if the user requests an output of theplurality of pieces of biological information during the predeterminedperiod, the wearable device 2000 may output the information about thechanges in the biological information by simultaneously outputting theplurality of pieces of biological information during the predeterminedperiod in a time-sequential order.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the sensor3000 that is attachable to or detachable from the wearable device 2000,according to another exemplary embodiment. It is obvious to one ofordinary skill in the art that the sensor 3000 may further includegeneral-use elements as well as the elements shown in FIG. 10.

Detailed descriptions about the sensor 3000 that is attachable to ordetachable from the wearable device 2000, which are the same as theaforementioned contents, will be omitted here, and the descriptionsprovided with reference to FIGS. 2 and 6 may be changelessly applied tothe sensor 3000 of FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 10, the sensor 3000 that is attachable to ordetachable from the wearable device 2000 may include the irradiator3100, the detector 3200, the sensor interface 3300, and a processor3400. A form or a configuration of the 3000 that is attachable to ordetachable from the wearable device 2000 may vary according to a methodof detecting a biological signal. Alternatively, a type of the sensor3000 may vary according to a detection-target biological signal, or onesensor 3000 may detect various biological signals.

The sensor 3000 that is attachable to or detachable from the wearabledevice 2000 may automatically operate when the sensor 3000 is attachedto the wearable device 2000 and a power is supplied to the sensor 3000,or may operate according to setting or manual manipulation by a user.

The irradiator 3100 may radiate light or a wavelength to a body part ofthe user to detect a biological signal. If the sensor 3000 of FIG. 2 isa photo-sensor, the irradiator 3100 may correspond to an irradiationpart that radiates light.

The detector 3200 may detect the biological signal that is generated inresponse to the light or the wavelength being radiated by the irradiator3100 onto the body part and then being reflected off the body parttowards the detector 2. Thus, a form and a detecting method of thedetector 3200 may vary according to a form and an irradiating method ofthe irradiator 3100.

The sensor interface 3300 may correspond to a part that connects thesensor 3000 and the wearable device 2000 when the sensor 3000 isattached to the wearable device 2000, and may contact an interface ofthe wearable device 2000 that includes at least one of the firstinterface 2120 and the second interface 2330. The sensor interface 3300may function as a path on which the sensor 3000 and the wearable device2000 exchange information. The sensor 3000 that is attached to thewearable device 2000 may transmit, to the wearable device 2000,biological signal detection information and a biological signal that isdetected by the attached sensor 3000.

The processor 3400 may control general operations of the sensor 3000.For example, when the sensor 3000 is attached to the wearable device2000 and thus the sensor interface 3300 contacts the first interface2120 or the second interface 2330 of the wearable device 2000, theprocessor 3400 may control at least one of the irradiator 3100, thedetector 3200, and the sensor interface 3300 so as to make the sensor3000 exchange information with the wearable device 2000.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a method of controlling the wearable device2000, according to an exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter, althoughdescriptions are omitted, if the descriptions are described above withrespect to the wearable device 2000 and the sensor 3000 that isattachable to or detachable from the wearable device 2000, thedescriptions may also be applied to the method of controlling thewearable device 2000.

The wearable device 2000 may receive biological signal detectioninformation from the sensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device2000 (operation S1110). If a plurality of the sensors 3000 are attachedto the wearable device 2000, the wearable device 2000 may receive aplurality of pieces of biological signal detection information from theplurality of the sensors 3000. Here, the plurality of the sensors 3000that are attached to the wearable device 2000 may be same-type sensorsor different-type sensors.

The wearable device 2000 may recognize a type of the sensor 3000attached to the wearable device 2000, based on the biological signaldetection information that is received from the sensor 3000 (operationS1120). For example, if the sensor 3000 that is attached to the wearabledevice 2000 is a photo-sensor, the biological signal detectioninformation may include information about a wavelength and intensity oflight that is radiated by the attached sensor 3000. Here, according to adegree of the wavelength and intensity of the light, the wearable device2000 may further exactly recognize a type of the biological signal thatis detected by the photo-sensor.

The wearable device 2000 may receive, from the sensor 3000, thebiological signal that is detected by the sensor 3000 attached to thewearable device 2000 (operation S1130). The wearable device 2000 mayreceive all biological signals that are detected by the plurality of theattached sensors 3000. Alternatively, the wearable device 2000 mayreceive a biological signal that corresponds to a user-desired function.Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, this will be described indetail.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart particularly illustrating an operation ofreceiving a biological signal in the method of controlling the wearabledevice 2000.

The wearable device 2000 may display one or more functions of therecognized sensor 3000 on a user interface of the wearable device 2000(operation S1210).

The wearable device 2000 may receive an input of selecting auser-desired function from among the one or more functions of therecognized sensor 3000 that are displayed on the user interface(operation S1220). One sensor 3000 may have several functions related todetecting a biological signal or a plurality of the sensors 3000 may beattached to the wearable device 2000. Thus, a user may select at leastone of the functions.

The wearable device 2000 may receive a biological signal thatcorresponds to the user-desired function, from the sensor 3000 that isattached to the wearable device 2000 (operation S1230). For example,after the user selects the user-desired function of the sensor 3000, thesensor 3000 that is attached to the wearable device 2000 may detect thebiological signal that corresponds to the user-desired function and maytransmit the biological signal to the wearable device 2000. Further, thesensor 3000 may detect one or more types of biological signals, and ifthe user-desired function of the sensor 3000 is input, the sensor 3000may transmit, to the wearable device 2000, only the biological signalthat corresponds to the user-desired function.

Referring back to FIG. 11, the wearable device 2000 may generate, basedon the received biological signal, biological information thatcorresponds to a type of the recognized sensor 3000 (operation S1140).Here, the wearable device 2000 may generate all of the receivedbiological signals into biological information that is recognizable bythe user or may generate only some of the received biological signalsinto biological information. For example, if the sensor 3000 that isattached to the wearable device 2000 transmits all biological signalsthat are detected by the sensor 3000, the wearable device 2000 mayreceive all the biological signals and may generate only some of thebiological signals into biological information that is recognizable bythe user, according to setting or manual manipulation by the user.

The wearable device 2000 may output the generated biological information(operation S1150). Here, the wearable device 2000 may output informationabout changes in the biological information over time during apredetermined period. The predetermined period may be set by the user.The wearable device 2000 may output all of generated biologicalinformation. Alternatively, the wearable device 2000 may outputbiological information that corresponds to the user-desired function.Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 13, this is described in detail.

The wearable device 2000 may display, on a user interface of thewearable device 2000, one or more functions of the sensor 3000 that isrecognized by the wearable device 2000 (operation S1310).

The wearable device 2000 may receive an input of selecting auser-desired function from among the one or more functions of the sensor3000 that are displayed on the user interface (operation S1320).

The wearable device 2000 may output biological information thatcorresponds to the user-desired function (operation S1330).

As described above, according to the one or more of the above exemplaryembodiments, a user may easily attach or detach a sensor while the userwears the wearable device, thus, if a sensor has broken or a differentsensor is required, the user may easily change the sensor.

While not restricted thereto, an exemplary embodiment can be embodied ascomputer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. Thecomputer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that canstore data that can be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples ofthe computer-readable recording medium include read-only memory (ROM),random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, andoptical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium canalso be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that thecomputer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.Also, an exemplary embodiment may be written as a computer programtransmitted over a computer-readable transmission medium, such as acarrier wave, and received and implemented in general-use orspecial-purpose digital computers that execute the programs. Moreover,it is understood that in exemplary embodiments, one or more units of theabove-described apparatuses and devices can include circuitry, aprocessor, a microprocessor, etc., and may execute a computer programstored in a computer-readable medium.

The foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplaryand are not to be construed as limiting. The present teaching can bereadily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description ofthe exemplary embodiments is intended to be illustrative, and not tolimit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable device comprising: an interfaceconfigured to receive, from a sensor that is detachably attached to thewearable device, a biological signal detected by the sensor andinformation about a method of detecting the biological signal; and acontroller configured to recognize a type of the sensor based on theinformation about the method of detecting the biological signal, andgenerate biological information corresponding to the recognized type ofthe sensor, based on the biological signal, wherein the informationabout the method of detecting the biological signal comprisesinformation about a wavelength and an intensity of light that isradiated by the sensor, and the controller is further configured torecognize the type of the sensor based on a value of the wavelength anda degree of the intensity of light that is radiated by the sensor. 2.The wearable device of claim 1, further comprising an output unitconfigured to output the biological information, display one or morefunctions of the sensor on a user interface of the wearable device, andreceive an input of selecting a user-desired function from among the oneor more functions, and wherein the interface is further configured toreceive, from the sensor, a biological signal that corresponds to theuser-desired function.
 3. The wearable device of claim 1, furthercomprising an output unit configured to display one or more functions ofthe sensor on a user interface of the wearable device, receive an inputfor selecting a user-desired function from among the one or morefunctions, and output biological information that corresponds to theuser-desired function.
 4. The wearable device of claim 1, furthercomprising an output unit configured to output the biologicalinformation and output information about changes in the biologicalinformation over time during a predetermined period.
 5. The wearabledevice of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a plurality ofsub-interfaces to which a plurality of sensors of different types aredetachably attached, the plurality of sensors comprising the sensor, andthe controller is further configured to recognize at least one sensorfrom among the plurality of sensors.
 6. A method of a wearable devicecomprising: receiving, from a sensor that is detachably attached to thewearable device, information about a method of detecting a biologicalsignal; recognizing a type of the sensor, based on the information aboutthe method of detecting the biological signal; receiving, from thesensor, the biological signal detected by the sensor; and generating,based on the biological signal, biological information that correspondsto the recognized type of the sensor, wherein the information about themethod of detecting the biological signal comprises information about awavelength and an intensity of light that is radiated by the sensor, andthe recognizing comprises recognizing the type of the sensor based on avalue of the wavelength and a degree of the intensity of light that isradiated by the sensor.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receivingthe biological signal comprises: displaying one or more functions of thesensor on a user interface of the wearable device; receiving an input ofselecting a user-desired function from among the one or more functions;and receiving, from the sensor, a biological signal that corresponds tothe user-desired function.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:displaying one or more functions of the sensor on a user interface ofthe wearable device; receiving an input for selecting a user-desiredfunction from among the one or more functions; and outputting biologicalinformation that corresponds to the user-desired function.
 9. The methodof claim 6, further comprising: outputting the biological information;and outputting information about changes in the biological informationover time during a predetermined period.
 10. The method of claim 6,wherein the receiving the information about the method of detecting thebiological signal comprises receiving the information about the methodof detecting the biological signal from each of different-type sensorsthat are attached to the wearable device, the different-type sensorscomprising the sensor.
 11. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein theinterface is further configured to receive, from the sensor, biologicalsignals of different types, and wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to recognize a type of each of the biological signals basedon the value of the wavelength and the degree of the intensity of lightthat is radiated by the sensor corresponding to each of the biologicalsignals.
 12. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the interfacecomprises a plurality of sub-interfaces to which a plurality of sensorsare detachably attached, the plurality of sensors configured to detectbiological signals of different types, and a position of a sub-interfaceto which each sensor of the plurality of sensors is detachably attachedis varied according to a type of a biological signal to be measured byeach sensor.
 13. A wearable device comprising: an interface configuredto receive, from a sensor that is detachably attached to the wearabledevice, a biological signal detected by the sensor and information abouta method of detecting the biological signal; and a controller configuredto recognize a type of the sensor based on the information about themethod of detecting the biological signal, and generate biologicalinformation corresponding to the recognized type of the sensor, based onthe biological signal, wherein the interface comprises a plurality ofsub-interfaces to which a plurality of sensors of different types aredetachably attached, the plurality of sensors comprising the sensor, andwherein the information about the method of detecting the biologicalsignal comprises information about a wavelength and an intensity oflight that is radiated by the sensor, and the controller is furtherconfigured to recognize a type of each sensor of the plurality ofsensors based on a value of the wavelength and a degree of the intensityof light that is radiated by each sensor.